We often post not to use pine or cedar shavings in the drop trays of cages because when urinated on, (or getting wet) it can release fumes that are very hard on small animal's respritory systems. We also post about using wood to make cages and the need for the wood to be properly sealed. This is so urine can't soak into the wood creating a place for bacteria to grow (potential illness source as well as stink source).

But I see all the time people posting that wood perches and wood "bird" toys wouldn't be safe. This just isn't true.

The wood used to make perches are kiln dried leaving no or very little sap in the wood (which would then give off the fumes if wet). Same with the wood bird toys.

Birds also have very delicate respritory systems. So if a wood toy is safe for birds, it "should" be safe for gliders as well.

Unsealed wood DOES allow urine to soak in and can become a health hazzard as well as a stink factory if not cleaned frequently and properly.

I just don't see these items as dangerous to gliders.

Other's thoughts??????

I agree, I have used wood bird toys and branches in my cages as long as I have had gliders. They don't last as long as the plastic toys (because eventually they don't clean up very well) but my kids actually like the wood toys better, for the most part.

I'm new to gliders, but I've used wooden perches and chinchilla "leap n' ledges" for my rats for years, and never had a problem. Rats' respiratory systems are very sensitive, too.

To clean wooden toys, I soak them in a bucket of hot water with white vinegar (like 1 part vinegar to five parts water) for about 20 minutes, then let them air dry until they are totally dry. Works really great!

That's what I've always thought! Someone even told me once that I should take all the pine furniture out of my bedroom because it could kill my pets. Obviously, I didn't and it hasn't. Pretty sure the only way it could harm them is if it falls on them, which will never (knock on wood, heh) happen.

As long as the wood toys and things get cleaned off when they're gross, I don't see how they could be harmful...

I think wood is good for their nails, it would feel comfortable for them I would think. Having something to dig into with out that... awful feeling (can't describe it)

I had a weeping willow tree in the yard (fell with wind storm) I cut a few branches off & stuck them in water they are rooted now!!! I also cut a few branches off & put them in their cages, They love them, as they can also chew on them

Tom

I thought I read somewhere that if you baked it in the oven for a couple hours it would then be safe? Kind of like the kiln thing Dancing mentioned. Of course, I dont know where I saw that?

Yes, this is true. I have love birds I do that for, but remember the wood will adsorb gliders urine and it will stink.

Yes.. it's very stinky, but my kids do love having perches. My chubbers especially. She thinks she's supposed to be the look out or something lol. She sits on top of them and scans the whole room.. it's really cute . I replace them often though.

Are weeping willow branches safe? I have a weeping willow tree in my yard but have been scared to put it in with the gliders because i didn't know if it was a safe wood. Frosty and snowball have a bridge i made out of apple branches that frosty just loves. The bridge is suspended on braided fleece and has a bit of a bounce to it and frosty spends most of his play time running back and forth on that bridge looking out over everything around his cage. We call him the sentry guarding his castle.

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There are so many great ideas flowing in the fact or fiction forum! I wish I had read this before buying gliders so I wouldn't have been so scared of everything.

I also have a weeping willow tree in my backyard, and now want to go out and clip some branches off for my suggies. However I will wait until daylight...

I have a sun conure, no suggies yet they're born just not ready to come home yet. Anyhoo, I have used natural branch perches for my sun conure ever since I got him 8yrs ago. He loves to rub his food caked beak on them to clean up, so I take them out weekly, soak them in boiling hot water first, scrub with my botanical cleaner, rinse well, soak again in boiling hot water for 10 minutes, then throw them in the oven @ 350 degrees for 2hrs.

This not only cleans and kills any germs/bacteria but also dries the perches so I can put them back in his cage. He has his 2 favorites and if they are not in his cage for any length of time its a total scream fest!

When I had Chinchilla's I made them houses out of Kiln Dried Pine. They chewed the daylights out of those boxes. It never hurt the chins. I would think as long as it is dried then it would be safe.

I have found that soaking wood in a 5 gallon bucket with 1/4 cup or less of Vinegar, rinse it well then place the wood in the Sun to dry will remove a lot of the smell from urine.

I am using the wood perches that came with my girls new cage. They're really a thick perch and the Glide-arium pole covers fit over them very nicely, so I use them as a sleeve, not to protect them from the wood, but hoping to help prolong the use of the wood.

I believe I got 3 perches with the cage, anyhow, I alternate 2, changing out weekly. On cleaning day, I take out perch, slide sleeve off and then spray perch with v/w solution, let it soak a little, then wipe, set it up on top of cage till the next week. Then I take a clean sleeve and place on the other perch.


I just ordered some Euc, though, so get to try out a branch for the first time. I'm very excited about that!

I havnt had any wood toys. if they are safe I may try to get some

My babies absolutely LOVE wooden branches.

To the point, I wish I had them in storage in my room, because I have to change them out so quickly. The thicker they are the better. My suggies love to cling to them, love to claim them (with urine and all of them perched on one at once), and they POSITIVELY LOVE destroying them.

With any branch, even with a hardwood once, they all determinedly try to find a way to get the sap they instinctively feel that's underneath; that normally results in areas dug with their little claws or teeth. I have to make sure, if there are branches in their cage, to wipe them down every few nights until I have to remove them. lol

Aww I have plenty of wood bird toys in the cage with my gliders...they seem to enjoy trying to chew them to pieces lol

When it comes to wood toys I always make sure I seal them. I purchase beeswax and melt it together with some olive oil. Once it is cooled down and solidifies I use it to rub into the wood toys and perches sealing them. Not only does it work as a good sealant it's organic and nontoxic. Being organic it does break down over time. But since a little goes a long way once you've made your own sealant just bottle up the remainder for touch ups months down the road.

My only bad experience with a wood toy was that my pair, Solo and Leia like to tear the toys apart into little splinters and make a nest in their fleece sleepy tent. Cute as it was, one of the splinters got embedded in Leia's forehead and became infected. The area swelled up and filled with puss. My sweet Leia had to have the swelled area off the top of her head lanced open and the area drained of puss.

All was well in the end. In the 19 years I've had gliders this was the only time something like this happened with a wooden toy or perch. Leia healed very well. After about a month the patch on her head where the splinter embedded itself was fully healed and even her fur grew back in full.

I've been using more wood in my glider's cage lately, mostly platforms and a branch. I wash with v/w solution, air dry, and toss as necessary.